


Sacrifice

by PolarGrizz47



Series: Uncharted Prompts [38]
Category: Uncharted (Video Games)
Genre: F/M, Major Character Injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-15
Updated: 2017-01-15
Packaged: 2018-09-17 13:23:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9326672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PolarGrizz47/pseuds/PolarGrizz47
Summary: Written for a prompt: "You can make it through this. I know you can. Y-you have to..." Chloe/Nathan





	

Chloe felt as if her wrist was broken, her arm pulled taut with their combined weights and her shoulders aching. But, they were _alive_ , thanks to her fast reflexes.

“It’s okay,” She assured, one hand wrapped in the rope of the old bridge and the other curled around Drake’s leather harness. “I got us, Nathan.”

The man gave a strange laugh below her, staring at his dangling legs and the plunge down into the forest that awaited them should they had fallen. It would’ve killed them, Nathan was sure of it. 

He swallowed, trying to make sense of what had just happened. They were crossing a bridge, old, wooden and incredibly dry. Something must’ve broken, or it was sabotaged… or… he couldn’t remember. His mouth was dry and his mind still reeling. Nathan was struck with the sudden idea that he wanted to _go home_. 

But he couldn’t. With trembling hands, he reached up to Chloe, trying to find his footing on the cliff face. His ears wouldn’t stop ringing, and his heart was beating much too fast. 

A groan rattled out of him, an intense pain suddenly making itself know on his side. He swallowed and looked down, blue eyes widening as he saw the red quickly staining his green henley. 

 _Oh_ , that was right.

It wasn’t sabotaged. The old, grand bridge had been blown apart when they were crossing it. Nathan blinked once, wondering if the red was a mirage brought on by stress, then twice, and finally a third time, but to no avail. The red was still there, and the pain was intense. 

His hands instantly fell to his side, jolting in confusion when he felt something distinctly hard along the blood. “Chloe,” He slurred, panic sparking inside of him. “’m _hurt_ ,” Nathan admitted, freshly bloodied fingers scrambling around his middle.

He wanted to go home, he wanted Sully, and the television and the shitty internet. He wanted lazy Sunday mornings with Chloe and her interesting cooking, wanted to browse old books with her by his side, curled up on the couch. Why did he get talked into this again? Oh, right, Harry got his ass in trouble _again_ , and Chloe wasn’t just going to let her - _their_ old friend die because of his many _debts_. 

“Hurt?” Chloe muttered, sparing a glance down and promptly cursing. “Nathan - oh god,” Her silver eyes sparked alive with determination, something Nathan had seen before, “Hang on, I’ll pull us up - _christ_ -”

Glancing upwards, Nathan was able to see the red slowly seeping against Chloe’s orange tee. They were _both_ hurt. As if it couldn’t get any worse.

“Chloe - you’re b-bleeding,” Nathan grumbled, reaching a hand up with morbid fascination to touch her arm, the one trembling with his added weight. “ _You_ gotta g-get help.”

“You have a fucking _piece of wood_ sticking out of you,” Chloe spat, finding her footing against the dusty rockface, her boots digging into the natural granite.

Nathan could hear her words echoing around him, his thoughts muddled as he looked back down at his dangling feet. He felt very tired, the pain was turning into a numbness. From the left field, he abruptly wondered if he’d be granted a quick, painless death should he take the plunge. He wondered if Chloe would make it without his added weight.

* * *

“It isn’t …gonna h-hold,” Nathan wheezed, tasting blood against his lips as it dribbled from his nose. The rope that had saved them was fraying rapidly, giving little by little against the stump it was tied too. Soon, it would _snap_.

“It’ll hold,” Chloe snarled, eyes wild and frantic. “It’ll hold, Nathan, just keep talking to me.”

The man struggled to keep his eyes open, skin paling and body lax. He coughed weakly, smiling to himself as he looked down to the fall below him. It wouldn’t be so bad, he thought. He always wanted to die heroically.

Half dazed with blood loss, but voice sharpened with seriousness, Nathan breathed, “I love your…your eyes, Chloe.”

The woman paused, glancing down at him with surprise. “ _What_?”

“They…They’re beautiful, you kn-know,” Nathan coughed, sending her a bloodied smile. His hand rubbed down his side, latching onto the sheath on his belt. 

Her brows narrowed, hand tightening against the leather as she whispered, “Nathan, _don’t_.”

“You… can make it through this,” Nathan wheezed, slippery fingers removing the blade from the hilt. “I _know_ you can. Y-you have to…" 

“Nathan, please,” She murmured, shaking her head softly. Chloe _knew_ what he was planning, gray eyes on the glinting blade, the sun reflecting off of it. "Just hold on - please -”

“It’s…okay,” Nathan struggled to grit out, the blade lifting up slowly, shaking in his grip. “It’ll be…okay, yeah?”

“Nathan -”

“I love you.”

“Then don’t do _this_ ,” Chloe hissed, ignoring the sting of tears in her eyes. She’d never felt so goddamn _helpless_ in her entire life. She couldn’t stop him without dropping him - or them both.

Nathan paused, his blade slipping underneath the harness, the sharpened edges biting into it. He smiled, skin pale and sweaty, eyes tearful and dazed, “I’m d-doing this… ‘cause I l-love you.”

Her mouth opened, but words failed her, only a croak of misery bursting out of her. She clutched onto the harness like a lifeline, staring hard at him.

His voice was steady and soothing as he whispered, “It’s _okay_.”

Chloe felt compelled to close her eyes, tears slipping down her cheeks.

There was a sudden transfer of energy, the harness snapping in two areas, one from the blade, the other weight strain, and then - _nothing_. Her knuckles turned white with the force of her squeezing, a sob escaping her. The harness blew gently in the hot breeze, Nathan’s trusted handgun still in the holster.

It occurred to her that Nathan hadn’t even screamed when he fell.

For a moment, she wanted to let go, _to give up_ \- to join him.

But Nathan wouldn’t die in vain.

Biting back on her sobs, she focused on getting herself up and over the horrible edge, her own wounds taking her breath away between stuttering gasps of sorrow.

* * *

Her fingers compulsively slid over the stitched portion of the leather, sewn together professionally, the fit good and the craftsmanship second to none. Simple, strong, got the job done.

Chloe smiled to herself gently, sorrowfully as she finished gearing up. The next big adventure was calling her name, and their team was ready. She honestly hadn’t expected to bring the harness with her, but it somehow felt… _right_.

Like Nathan was right there with her every step of the way.

She shrugged her jacket on over top it, slipping her weapon into the holster with a concise sigh. “We're back in business, Nathan.”

**Author's Note:**

> I just keep killing off Nathan??????


End file.
